Flaming Ice
by Yoru Inu
Summary: He was ice, cool and beautiful. She was fire, untamed and temperamental. Both were equally dangerous, both hurt. When they clash, will ice melt, or will fire extinguish? Too bad fire only has one fate this time. oneshot. R&R!


_Hello guys! Is me again with another PoT one-shot. 12 pages long this time. Read, enjoy and please do review on your way out._

_(Have a box of tissues at the ready, I warned you.)_

_**Flaming Ice**_

Oshitari Yuushi watched, somewhere between surprise and amusement, as another of the non-regulars fell victim to their captain's, more than normal, vicious play.

Counting from the beginning of that week, that poor second year would be the 48th victim that month. And Oshitari was sure the victims would rise from last month's 78 victims to more than a hundred now.

He knew, because he and Atobe had many classes together, that his aggressive play-style was a direct consequence of the classes they had earlier in the day.

The sound of balls hitting racquets made his gaze stray from hisbuchou to the girl's courts next to theirs.

For once, they were not watching them, chatting and giggling like idiots. Instead, moaning and begging could be heard from the courts.

The reason for Atobe's worsening mood and the girl's begging was the new captain of Hyotei's female tennis team.

She could keep with Atone with academics, and maintained a reasonably famous reputation in tennis. They all knew she was not better than he was, but that didn't keep them for admiring her. And that was something the diva just couldn't tolerate.

Moreover; she had won the captain position at the tryouts.

And this young student lived to piss Atobe off apparently.

And who is she exactly?

A pretty, well fit, cinnamon haired, forest green eyed girl, with a witty and easy going personality. Willing to help everyone along and annoy Atobe to death.

Kirishina Kisa was her name.

Their practice was dragged half an hour after their normal finishing time. But no one dared tell Atobe about it.

The girls ended practice at the appointed time, but few stayed to watch them, too tired to even remain awake.

Kisa was another story, however.

She stopped in front of the wired fence, and Gakuto and Jiroh, who for some reason Oshitari couldn't begin to fathom was awake, sprinted to where she was and started chatting happily.

The look in Atobe's face changed from pissed of to one of pure murder at this.

"Everyone dismissed," He barked, and everyone scurried away. Jiroh didn't waste time to start complaining about Atobe, fake tears raising in his eyes as he told Kisa _'How inhuman and cruel Atobe had been in practice' _with all the details he could remember, Gakuto putting in his own two cents here and there.

Kisa turned to Atobe, who was walking towards the changing rooms. "You should stop being so ruthless, Atobe-san, I don't think that's healthy for your team, as a captain you should know this," Kisa called, and Atobe hated the ring of arrogance in her tone. "You'll lose more than half your members if you don't stop."

"That's not your problem, Kirishina."

Kisa smirked as she watched Atobe walk away. "Touchy!"

"He has every right to be, Kirishina-han," Oshitari said suddenly. "You've been bothering him all day long since you first laid eyes on him."

"It's interesting," Kisa said absently. "To see him so pissed. Besides it's fun to challenge such a person."

"Is life only a challenge to you?"

Kisa didn't say anything to answer Oshitari's last question, she just shrugged and walked away with a wave of her hand.

Kirishina Kisa was a mystery. Her past was unknown, her reasons for asking to be transferred from Rikkai Dai to Hyotei were unknown as well.

A face to go with a name, and a personality that might as well be fake, those were the only things they knew about her.

For Atobe, however, Kisa was not a mystery seen from a romantic point of view, or a grave case only meant for an expert in psychology.

Kisa was pure fire. The kind that went untamed, raising havoc and burning people as she went. A fire he intended to extinguish.

**Do you intend to stand before me?**

**Do you understand what that means?**

**But it's too late for regret,**

**You can't ever go back after realizing.**

"I disagree," Kisa's voice rang clear and true in history class as she stood up from her chair.

From near the front, Atobe growled and cursed under his breath.

"I personally believe that ancient poets were inspired more by war than romance," She said, casting a challenging look to Atobe. Who in return glared at her before retailing.

"Really? Then you've read nothing but trash."

Kisa titled her head to the side. "What makes you think that the poems were dedicated to women? War itself fits very well."

The class just sighed, some others yawned, as the debate between Kisa and Atobe dragged on until the teacher put an end to it by agreeing with both, but going more in Kisa's direction than Atobe's.

They sat down, and Kisa shot a smug smile towards Atobe. Atobe just glared, he hated to admit that Kisa had won the unspoken challenge.

When class ended, and their twenty minute long recess began, Kisa found herself being dragged back into the empty classroom by an angry Atobe, who had moved from the front to the back with three long strides.

Jerking her inside, he closed the door and locked it before any teacher walked by and saw them.

"What is your problem?" Kisa hissed, shaking her head a bit, her pale face returning a slight bit of color. Her eyes lost the slight dazed look and regained some focus.

"You are my problem!" Atobe growled, walking towards her menacingly. "Why won't you leave ore-sama alone?"

Kisa laughed. "Leave you alone? Atobe-san, you are a little too self-centered, not everything that I do or I say has to do with you. I defend my points of view, that's all."

"And I suppose that I am the only one you defend them against?" Atobe growled, dropping the "ore-sama".

Kisa ran a hand through her hair. "You are too arrogant, too selfish." Kisa's eyes were frigid. "You can't see what is around you, nor the value of the things you overlook. Right now people love you, shower with affection, right now you have good looks and good reputation. But that won't last forever."

"You forgot to add money." Atobe glared at her, albeit with a kind of smugness.

"Aa," Kisa nodded. "And when you grow old, that would be the only thing you'll have left."

Kisa moved passed Atobe, and out of the class, leaving the diva inside, frozen in place.

Once outside, Kisa laughed bitterly, and called herself a liar. After all, what did she have left? An unfulfilled heart and a short-lived life, that was what.

**Are you trembling? What's wrong?**

**Your heart has probably started to freeze over.**

**Don't worry, it'll be over soon,**

**When it shatters into pieces.**

Atobe never wanted to see anything as badly as he wanted to see Kirishina Kisa broken and defeated. And he would be the one to do it, to extinguish the fire that burned and roared inside her.

He thought about a plan through many nights before sleep claimed him. Finally, after a month of thinking it over, he came to the perfect solution.

He'll tame the fire, as if ice was covering it over, trapped inside a beautiful cage. Atobe was going to make the only girl to ever defy the great Atobe Keigo _**his**._

That in mind, Atobe took a step inside his first class. To his surprise, Kisa was already there, alone, half standing half sitting in a table, and looking outside the window with a look of sadness and reflection.

A look that in someway made him feel cold inside. A look that didn't fit her at all.

"Ahn? What are you doing here, Kirishina?"

She turned, the look he had seen before quickly evaporated from them, and instead the usual look of smugness and proud arrogance took its place. "Atobe-san," She said with a hint of dark humor. "Back for more verbal beating from me?" She asked him.

Atobe chuckled. "No, Kirishina, ore-sama is not in the mood for it."

"That's fine; I can beat you anytime, anywhere." She lied.

"We'll see who gets the more claps on our graduation speeches." Atobe drawled arrogantly.

Kisa nodded, and smiled. A pang of pain and longing resonated in her heart. "I'm sure you'll get more than enough for the both of us." She was asking without speaking. Asking for a promise he, most probably, would never understand the meaning of.

The class started before Atobe could say anything, and Kisa avoided him for the rest of the classes until practice came again.

It was a good practice, and Kisa felt satisfied with her team's performance. Their resistance was low, but with time and patience that would change. Their skills were sharp, their movements precise and fast.

They were a good team, and she had no doubt they would win the Kantou Regional that was coming up soon.

When she exited the club house after practice and locked it, she was slightly surprised to see Atobe there waiting for her. "What are you doing here, Atobe-san?"

Atobe smirked. "Just came to tell you something," He said, approaching her until she was backed against the metal door of the club house. His hands rose, and collided into the metal on each side of her head with a loud bang. His face lowered closer to her own. "You'll be mine, Kirishina."

Kisa opened her mouth to protest, the flame inside rising in tune with her anger.

Atobe ducked his head lower, not giving Kisa time to protest, and captured her lips with his own. She gasped, and he took the opportunity to explore her thoroughly. He caressed her tongue with his, trying to get her to respond.

Kisa moaned into his mouth when Atobe increased the pressure of the kiss, making it more heated and passionate. His hands lowered from the door to her neck, lowered to her shoulders, arms, hands. Then raised over her sides, lowered again, went to the small of her back to pull her to him almost desperately.

Kisa didn't know if it was her own need, or the almost desperation with which Atobe was holding her, but she found herself reacting to the kiss, to him, as she sent her thoughts to fly with the wind, and lost herself in him.

"Kirishina…" Atobe suddenly moaned her name. And that was enough to send Kisa crashing back into reality.

She remembered who she was, who she was with, what they were doing, and more importantly _where. _

She pushed Atobe back with all her might, the captain stumbled at the sudden force pushing him backwards, so he fell onto his back.

Kisa looked down at him, her gaze a mixture of shock, anger and despair. "I'm not a thing you can claim," She told him coolly. "Even if you are Atobe Keigo."

She shook her head, her cinnamon bangs moving across her forehead, and started walking away.

Atobe, from his place on the cold earth, just couldn't think how a single girl could push him away like that when all the others would have killed to be in her position.

For so long Atobe Keigo had everything he wanted, just by asking. But Kirishina Kisa was the only one that refused him.

He sighed, and wonder what was it that he had seen in a girl like Kisa to catch his attention to the point that in the past weeks she had become an obsession.

It was not her looks, because even though she was no plain girl, Kisa was not the type he would go after in looks.

It was not her personality, too strong willed and fiery for him.

He closed his eyes, and wish that her image would fade from his mind. She was more trouble than she was worth.

"Kirishina! Wait!" Atobe shouted the next day, walking hurriedly to the aforementioned, Kisa herself stopped and waited for Atobe with cool eyes. "Listen," He told her softly, so unlike him. "Ore-sama is sorry for kissing you against your will, but Ore-sama won't apologize for not regretting it."

"Why did you kiss me?" Kisa asked quietly.

"Because ore-sama felt like kissing you," Atobe said, eyes darker. "Because ore-sama has never felt this way for anyone else."

"Do you love me?" Kisa asked him, bangs hiding her eyes.

"I don't know," He told her seriously, dropping the ore-sama, and Kisa raised her head to meet his eyes. "Because I've never felt like this before. I want you to give me the chance to find out. What do you say?"

Kisa looked at Atobe carefully. To agree or to refuse him. To hurt him now or spare him now and hurt him later? To be selfish and grab this chance, or refuse him and keep wondering.

She was not a selfless person. "Okay."

Atobe smirked. Not arrogantly, but truly happy. "Then we are an item officially, from now on."

Kisa liked the sound of his words. They spoke of promises she knew wouldn't last long. But for now she wanted to be blind and hope to be happy for whatever was left of her life.

Atobe grabbed her bag, and slung in over one shoulder, then grabbed her hand with his bigger one. "Let's go to practice now." Kisa nodded, and didn't push him away when he bent to kiss her again.

She just wanted to be happy for as long as she could.

The news about them flew thought Hyotei in a short while. It was to be expected, after all Atobe was famous, and she was not exactly unknown either.

Kisa was happy, Atobe had gradually changed to the arrogant and pompous boyfriend he had been at the beginning to a more caring, more gentle-man like, affectionate one.

He did everything he could to make her happy, even wasted his endless money in gifts she knew were useless.

But she didn't have the heart to tell Atobe this.

They ate lunch together, and sat next to each other whenever they could. They still argued quite often, but it was different, Kisa was not as hostile as she used to be, and Atobe didn't get as pissed as he did.

"Atobe, we already came to the mall last week."

Atobe shrugged. "And? Ore-sama wants to pass the time with you, is there a problem with that?"

Kisa smiled and shook her head. Atobe smirked down at her holding her tighter with the arm he had on her shoulders.

"Let's get some ice-cream!" Kisa suddenly said, and Atobe complied, buying a single cone of chocolate ice cream for her, saying he didn't want any.

They sat down, Atobe not letting go from her hand. "I never thought I'd end up like this with you."

Atobe chuckled. "Ore-sama didn't either; at the beginning ore-sama hated your guts."

Kisa laughed, true and rich. "Tell me about it!" She exclaimed with a bright smile.

Atobe himself smiled, and turned to look at her. Her lips glimmered with what was left of the ice-cream in them. Gently, seductively, he raised his hand to her chin, and turned to look at him.

Confused, Kisa let him turn her head towards him. When she was fully turned, her eyes widened when his lips fell on hers. Tenderly, seeking.

She closed her eyes, and enjoyed every second of it.

"You know," Kisa began when Atobe let go of her lips. "If you wanted ice-cream, you should just have told me."

**Courage is something to be praised,**

**That you were surely taught,**

**Pity, but that's wrong.**

"**Recklessness" is the correct word.**

Atobe Keigo admitted to himself that he was happy being with Kirishina Kisa. The same teen that he had wanted to see broken and defeated.

The only thing he now wanted was to see her smile, to hear her laugh.

From his place, he could clearly see her and the girls practice while he kept an eye on his own team. He had to admit that Kisa was a good captain, and her skill was over most of her fellow team-mates, but unlike him, she didn't make a show out of them.

She didn't like the attention much. And he didn't like all the attention she got from the male population either. He was a possessive person, he knew, and she knew as well, and she didn't seem to mind it at all.

"Practice dismissed!" Kisa called, and Atobe watched how another of the regulars approached her and asked to have a match with her, Kisa accepted the challenge.

Most stayed behind to watch, and even a few boys gathered around to watch.

He watched Kisa from his place, completely ignoring the boys' practice.

The first match began, and he knew Kisa was not going full out, she gave some points top the other regular, and so the other girl kept her score close to Kisa's.

Atobe's brown furrowed, Kisa seemed to be getting short of breath too quickly, and her skin was losing color. Worried, he stood up from his place and started walking towards the court where the match was.

As he was moving towards her, Kisa's legs buckled underneath her. Her racket fell from her limp hand, crashing to the ground with a loud bang.

She fell to her knees, one hand holding tightly her shirt over her chest, the other in her mouth as a coughing fit overtook her delicate frame, making her shake uncontrollably.

Atobe didn't notice his speed, nor did the moment he had run from where he had been sitting to his kneeling place next to her. His mind was shaken blank when his eyes caught the lines of crimson flowing down from between her fingers.

His hand froze before it could reach her shoulder, his voice caught in his throat, and he could feel his heart dropping to the ground in fear. "Call an ambulance!" He shouted in a brief moment of clarity, looking around, wild terror in his eyes.

"No," Kisa's weak voice came, and he looked down at her, her blood-stained hand was falling from her mouth.

No surprise was reflected in her eyes. What was there instead froze his very core. Kisa was looking down at the floor, a look of sorrowful resignation painted in the depths of her eyes. Eyes that had held arrogance and smugness not a long while ago.

Kisa knew what was going on, and she was doing nothing to stop it.

"Kisa wha-?"

Atobe didn't finish his question, for Kisa had stood up sharply. "Leave me alone!" She shouted, cleaning the blood from the corner of her mouth sharply with her wristband.

Then she took off running.

It took some minutes for Atobe to realize what was going on, but when he came back to himself, he took off running after her.

Kisa ran, as fast as her rapidly weakening body would let her. She entered the park, and sought the most peaceful and hidden point in it. When she was passing under the shade of a sakura tree, her legs gave out from underneath her.

Too weak and to tired to stand up again, she just turned to lay on her back, and looked up at the evening sky. Her eyes, half lidded, reflected the golden-red rays of the sun. "So, this is it."

She could feel her life dissipating. She knew it would happen suddenly if she didn't take her medicine for long periods of time.

But she didn't care. She knew that the medicine was making her lose several of her senses, hearing and sight for instance, and she was not going to keep taking it just to live a few years longer.

She had wanted to live as much as she could in the few months that were left of her life, instead of living a few more years confined to a hospital bed.

"KISA! KISA!" Atobe's voice echoed through the park, and for a brief moment, she thought it was her imagination, but when she turned to the side, she saw Atobe running towards her, alone.

She didn't have the strength to call out to him, or to stand up. So was suddenly so sleepy, so tired.

But she didn't want to close her eyes. Not just yet.

She admitted to herself that she wanted him to be with her, as selfish as it might seem, and was grateful when he was able to see her through the deep foliage of that part of the park.

"Good god, Kisa." The whisper left his lips as he shook his head. "This can't be happening."

"Hey," She said weakly. "I didn't want you to see me like this, but I didn't want to be alone either."

"Let's go to the hospital, I'll take you." Atobe begged her.

"It's too late," Kisa told him with peaceful resignation. "I knew this day would come, sooner or later, but I was hoping it would be later."

"Kisa…"

"You know, I knew I was going to die." A sad smile wrote itself in her features. "I knew the moment my uncle told me both my parents had died in the same way."

She patted the grass next to her, and Atobe laid down next to her. Taking her hand in his and linking their fingers.

"But I never though I'd find out I had the same disease so fast." Kisa chuckled, then continued. "When I found out, I was desperate to live. I searched for interesting people, people who could teach me new things before I had to go. But none was interesting enough, until I met you."

Kisa looked at him and grinned. "Thank you, for all you showed and taught me."

"I must thank you in return." Atobe's hand tightened his hold on hers.

"You'll get enough claps for the both of us in your graduation speech, won't you?" Kisa asked.

"I will." And Atobe promised.

"I'm a little bit tired; it's been a long and tiring day, so I'll sleep for a little while okay?" Kisa told him gently, her eyes moving to the reddening sky. "I'm sure we'll see each other again, sometime."

"Yeah, we will." Atobe closed his eyes, and smiled as a bitter sweet feeling racked his being.

He remained silent, still holding Kisa's hand even when her own had become slack. After a few moments of silence, tears threatening to escape from his eyes, he looked at Kisa.

In her face, the red evening light was reflected. Her eyes were closed, and in her face a peaceful smile had been drawn.

Atobe raised, and gently, tenderly, kissed her. Kisa didn't respond, and as his heart broke, the first tear ran down his cheek.

**You fallen butterfly, scorched by the flame,**

**I'll let you dance in the palm of this hand.**

**Turn completely into ashes, and disappear into the wind.**

**I won't be bitter for this, burning on the flaming ice!**

Atobe Keigo, did, indeed, get many claps in his graduation speech, more than enough for two people.

He lived at his fullest. He married and had children, but the love between him and his wife lasted just long enough for his children to enjoy a complete and peaceful family. He and his wife always remained friends, even after the divorce.

He was an excellent father, dedicating much of his time to them, educating them with a firm but gentle hand. He taught them everything he knew, and what he had been taught as well.

Atobe Keigo died on a cold December night, getting back from a reunion with his friends. The car they had been in crashed, and tragically, he had been the only with lethal wounds.

Those that were with him at the moment of his death saw him smile, and heard him utter a name.

They assured their family that he was in good hands. Wherever he was.

**Frozen flame at the scattering end**

**Burn beautifully.**


End file.
